Sol Invictus
10-15-2010, 03:21 AM
The Canadian Press
October 13, 2010
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Canada suffered its second diplomatic black eye in as many days Tuesday as it withdrew in defeat from a bid to rejoin the mighty United Nations Security Council — the first time in the powerful panel's 64-year history that the country has failed to secure a seat.
Canada’s UN Ambassador John McNee made the announcement after it became clear that Portugal was well on its way to defeating Canada to claim the second of two available spots in the UN's most exclusive and coveted club. Germany won the first seat on the first ballot.
The development represented a significant embarrassment to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who travelled to New York last month to plead Canada's case.
But despite recent rumblings among member nations about Canada's decidedly Israel-friendly foreign policy, a shortage of aid to Africa and Harper's perceived indifference to the UN, the federal Conservative government almost immediately laid the blame for the loss at the feet of Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon insisted that Ignatieff's comments last month questioning whether Canada had earned a spot on the council almost single-handedly put the boots to Canada's hopes. Cannon denied any knowledge that other issues might have played a role.
"I do not think that this is a repudiation of Canada's foreign policy," he told a news conference.
"Canada ran a campaign based on principle; we ran a strong campaign. Unfortunately, back home in Canada, the leader of the opposition determined that Canada does not speak with one voice."
Several ambassadors who emerged from the vote made no mention of Ignatieff's remarks; one had never even heard of him.
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/canada/article/661045--canada-denied-seat-on-un-security-council
October 13, 2010
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Canada suffered its second diplomatic black eye in as many days Tuesday as it withdrew in defeat from a bid to rejoin the mighty United Nations Security Council — the first time in the powerful panel's 64-year history that the country has failed to secure a seat.
Canada’s UN Ambassador John McNee made the announcement after it became clear that Portugal was well on its way to defeating Canada to claim the second of two available spots in the UN's most exclusive and coveted club. Germany won the first seat on the first ballot.
The development represented a significant embarrassment to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who travelled to New York last month to plead Canada's case.
But despite recent rumblings among member nations about Canada's decidedly Israel-friendly foreign policy, a shortage of aid to Africa and Harper's perceived indifference to the UN, the federal Conservative government almost immediately laid the blame for the loss at the feet of Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon insisted that Ignatieff's comments last month questioning whether Canada had earned a spot on the council almost single-handedly put the boots to Canada's hopes. Cannon denied any knowledge that other issues might have played a role.
"I do not think that this is a repudiation of Canada's foreign policy," he told a news conference.
"Canada ran a campaign based on principle; we ran a strong campaign. Unfortunately, back home in Canada, the leader of the opposition determined that Canada does not speak with one voice."
Several ambassadors who emerged from the vote made no mention of Ignatieff's remarks; one had never even heard of him.
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/canada/article/661045--canada-denied-seat-on-un-security-council